Spirituality vs. Religion | Big Think
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Publicado 2012-04-23
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Robert Thurman believes organized religions inevitably become tools of cultural power rather than paths to personal salvation.
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Robert Thurman:
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, President of Tibet House US, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization, and President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. The New York Times recently hailed him as "the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism."
The first American to have been ordained a Tibetan Buddhist monk and a personal friend of the Dalai Lama for over 40 years, Professor Thurman is a passionate advocate and spokesperson for the truth regarding the current Tibet-China situation and the human rights violations suffered by the Tibetan people under Chinese rule. His commitment to finding a peaceful, win-win solution for Tibet and China inspired him to write his latest book, Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet and the World, published in June of 2008.
Professor Thurman also translates important Tibetan and Sanskrit philosophical writings and lectures and writes on Buddhism, particularly Tibetan Buddhism; on Asian history, particularly the history of the monastic institution in the Asian civilization; and on critical philosophy, with a focus on the dialogue between the material and inner sciences of the world's religious traditions.
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TRANSCRIPT:
Question: What is the difference between spirituality and religion?
Robert Thurman: Spirituality is love and compassion, as far as I’m concerned; meaning that you are not just being rationally stuck within what you think your body is wired to. You’re going into a deeper area of your mind where you are asserting your free will. You’re choosing to be friendly and compassionate with people whether or not they irritate you, or whether or not they’ve done something to you. You‘re nevertheless choosing some sort of extraordinary—it shouldn’t be extraordinary really—response or outreach to people. Spirituality really is touching; you let go of your self-protective and defensive controls, and what you tap into is the nature of the universe, the flow of energy interconnecting things. Then, you naturally feel like interconnecting. Spirituality is where you let go, therefore, of your narrow control of identifying yourself just as your body: “I’m holding on to my chair;” this kind of thing.
That is, of course, the heart of religion too, but unfortunately religion has this other component where it goes into something instead of what the sociologist might call “pattern transcending activity” or “mental activity.” It becomes a tool of the state and society, and their conventional culture, to control people. To say, “you have to do this,” and “you need that ritual, obey this rule.” It stifles people and spirituality, and in the name of it people will kill each other, and they’ll hate people who don’t have the same belief instead of being loving and friendly. They will misinterpret or they will allow the priesthoods to misinterpret the teachings of the great founders—who are truly spiritual, and who said, you know, “Don’t behave like that”—and they start behaving like the Roman Catholic Church.
The Catholic part is great: universal. The Church of Jesus is great. But the Roman part is the Roman Empire from Constantine, and it’s a dominating thing, and it’s conflicting even for the priesthood, and of course many of the priests were still saintly and wonderful, when they are more great mystics. They were better before the Protestants made then try to be more social, but to compete with them they too much adopted the stance of the Roman Empire is the problem. Religions do that. Buddhism too. It becomes a control mechanism rather than a liberating mechanism.
Todos los comentarios (21)
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My response when pushed is Religion: God is a being. Spirituality: God is being.
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My religious friends head for a church on Sunday and myself being spiritual, I head for the woods.
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Religion is a parent to the people, they need it for comfort and direction. Spirituality is being present in the moment here and now.
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the reason people start believing that there is no higher power / force is because in all honesty religion shuts down their opinions, questions and turns them closed minded people that should only take what is given and can't think of the possibility of a different outcome or route of doing something.
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"Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool." Mark Twain
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Taoism is spirituality choose your own path in life not what others want you to do.
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In 3mins this video has summed up my sentiment about religion. This gentleman has a great mind he’s really wise 👏🏽
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Just imagine how peaceful the world would be without the 100+ religion/believe systems but everyone focussing on the world/peace within understanding being a multiple being, living a human/physical experience.. we're trapped in 3D existence out of the 10 dimensions..11 if you'd add time.... we only understand higher dimensions in theory 🤐... Enough said.
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Spirituality is defined by Kenneth Pargament as "the search for the sacred". Spirituality is the human need of finding a connection with what we have, consciously or unconsciously, defined as what is most sacred to us. The sacred is different from person to person but this need to search for such meaningful attachment is definitely present in all humans.
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I relate so much. Often ppl use the bible to defend their ways and see someone who is more spiritual and free thinker as someone who doesn't obey. As long as they "obey" they can be forgiven by the most high so you should too. As a free thinker I believe God gives you free will and a conscience, as well as empathy along with sympathy. I just feel like the more ppl use bible verses to connect, there's even more who use it as a condescending tool. I understand the bible is the universal language of God but speaking from the heart is the universal language of love and that's where I operate from or else I think in some cases that it can seem contrived or phony. When I want to be preached to I'll of course go to church but not by people I love, I rather you level with me. If it helps, think of me as your homie who wants to help but has their own boundaries so you can't treat him just anyway you want.
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Jesus wasn't bound to the definition of religion. The more open minded you read the bible the more you realise christianity should be understood spiritually instead of religiously (if you want to follow Jesus)
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Amazing! This is what I try to verbalize to my friends when they ask me what I mean when I say I’m not religious anymore and that I’m spiritual now. It’s the understanding that I am one with the universe and this omnipresent energy. And that goes for everyone too. And if we are all of the universe, by being kind to others, we are being kind to ourselves.
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religion should be a portal to spiritual conciousness. instead of condemning other faith to hell.
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Due to each place around the world having different cultures and ways of doing things, different religons were created. Every religon worships the same God, but in their own way. All religons are correct. However religons have negative aspects as well. For ex: Specific religons say they are the only religon that is correct, and put down others for worshipping a different way. Specific religons stay in their specific areas due to cultural differences. If it were true that YOUR religon is the TRUE religon, why is specifically only a certain culture who uses it? Surely God wouldn't only save a specific part of the earth, becaude this is the hotspot for your religon and damn everyone else, who never really even got a chance to learn about it. There are isolated people on the otherside of the world, I guarantee you never heard about your religon. This doesn't mean they will be "damned" for eternity. Holy books were written by man. Over time many were translated and changed over time. I don't trust man, I trust God. I will not be led astray into thinking "Women must submit to men" bc a book says it. I won't be led astray by not accepting others because of sexualities. Worshipping God is about improving yourself and loving God and helping others, not about putting a group down because they are different from you. This world was divided as a test from God. Those who accept and love everyone for who and what they are despite differences, and do good, will be rewarded. No one knows what the afterlife really is. I dont know if there is a heaven or hell. However I do know that my God loves me, and I am a good person. I don't believe just bc I don't conform with a certain religon that ill suffer for eternity.
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I'd like to think religion is you knowing God. And Spirituality is God Knowing you
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I'm a religious person and I disagree with the control part. I naturally love going to church, praying, and reading my bible. I also aim towards loving everyone, regardless of their religion
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Exactly religion controls people and I think energy has to do with everything and the devil is bad energy negituvr energy and god is just good positive energy and when u use your energy for bad things your basically saying devil come and take me but if u find peace and love that will truly connect u with the ways of the Devine and god and nature and peaceful energy that is meant for good
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Thank you !!! Spent an hour with my Christian family on this
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If you've ever been curious about who you truly are, then this is something that you NEED to see...
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very good.
